Like we said in the challenge description, high school is a time rife with struggle, new experiences, and the desire for things to be different. Almost all of the entries to this challenge tapped in to those dramatic elements in some way—and it was a pleasure to read through them. For some WEbook staff, our high school years occurred…some time ago. Yet these entries had us right back in those hallways, among those lockers, and sitting in those desks.

It wasn’t always pleasant. But it made us feel something.

Winners!

Corruption by Eloquent_MJ

Besides tight and specific writing, this entry delves into the myth of high school. The perception of how things "should" be. A lot of budding youths believe in that myth, and a lot of them wind of disillusioned. It's a sad truth, but it is the truth.

closure by RawkinParadox

We loved the symbolism of the character's names in this entry. A high school romance ending not with a bang, but a whimper, the author captures the quiet, lingering pain of first heartbreak, suggesting the important growing experience it often can be. 

Getting To Know You by Nekrostelos

Talk about your twist endings! This one started out as a traditional, albeit well-written, high school romance...and then dared to go beyond sweet high school love. The shock at the end is delivered subtly - this is one that sticks with you. 

Stretching Fashion by JayneGrey

Not only did this entry take us back to high school, it took us back to the eighties. That's always a good thing. This entry also illustrated a key high school behavior: caring so much about one (insignificant) thing, that you lose total perspective on everything else. Whether it's a pair of jeans, a video game, or a girl's attention, things had a way of getting blown out of proportion in those years.

See Me After Class by J_Hucke

This entry tackles a difficult subject - domestic abuse - with courage and compassion. This one is also told through dialogue, and conveys the intense emotion of the situation powerfully, stopping just short of melodrama. 

Prometheus by KenWebb

Unless you've worked as a teacher, it's easy to forget they're real people. We're not trying to be mean, but it's easy to remember high school and think of teachers givers of tests and lectures, and not much else. But they were students too, once. They have good days and bad days. Regrets. Mistakes. They have whole lives that most students never know, hear, or care about. This entry made is remember that.

Honorable Mention

Corndog by simonmabee

Congratulations to the winners! You will receive your PageToFame coupons shortly.

If you didn’t win, chin up. There’s another writing contest afoot, a love is in the air. The “OK Cupid” writing contest is open for submissions. So, dig into your romantic side and write a love scene. 

Oh, you vengeful writers. You captains of comeuppance, masters of malevolence, and puppeteers of payback. Well done, you have earned your reward: the grim satisfaction of retribution. We hope is tastes good, even if it was cold.

The Revenge Challenge winners!

Smells Like Revenge by Sabrawing

This entry won because it really sucked us into the perspective of a child carrying out a self-assigned mission of revenge. The details of the muffled feet and avoidance of the reflection in the T.V. were minor, but critical for building atmosphere. And the weapon of choice was…well...let’s just say children have to use the tools available to them.

All's Fair in Love and Parking by PhillipNorhill

Any entry that involves exploding candy is going to get our attention. Back that up with some excellent (but gruesome) details, and it’s a pretty clear winner. Sure, this seems like a bit of an overreaction for a parking space feud, but we figure someone who builds an exploding candy bar is prone to overreaction in general.  

Brood Parasite by Atrees

Atrees made a few changes on this while the contest was open, particularly the last line. We’re glad he did, because we wouldn’t have gotten the twist (we won’t give it away here) without it. A quick romp through a certain Wikipedia article, and all those careful references in the setup made a whole lot more sense!

Game craze by DS_Gane

We liked this entry because it exemplified that tendency among some people to become totally engrossed in trivial and inconsequential games. It’s an interesting character trait, and a very amusing one when looked at from this angle.

Blackbeard and The T-bone by ShanaPupik

We’re a fan of entries that personify animals because it gives us a chance to examine human motivations in a different context. Animals mostly care about food and being petted, so it makes sense that this revenge quest would be centered on a steak. Moreover, we feel like we can see this type of thought—the balancing of penalty and reward—going on in a few pets of our own. Right before they strike.

Care-Taker by JRBeck

This entry won because of its deliberate and well-paced progression. Backstory and present action were intertwined in an unforced and—dare we say—artful way that’s appears effortless, and yet we all know requires a great effort indeed. Well crafted, well done!

Congratulations to the winners, you will receive your PageToFame coupon in your WEbook inbox soon.

The next writing challenge will be released soon. We’re going to do a bit of extra preparation and offer some extra-juicy rewards this time around. Stay tuned. In the meantime, why not read a few recent entries to PageToFame?